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12 features you probably didn’t know exist on WhatsApp

But there’s a lot more to the
Facebook-owned messaging service — which surpassed 1 billion users in
February 2016 — than most of its users possibly know.

We take you through some of its most
useful but less well-known features, including how to get WhatsApp on
your computer, how to switch phone numbers on your account, and its
newest Snapchat-like feature “status.”

On an iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy >Photos > Tap to toggle off the WhatsApp button

2. Use WhatsApp on your computer just like you do on your phone with the web app “WhatsApp for Desktop.”

Click on this link to download WhatsApp for your computer and follow the install instructions.

You’ll need to scan the barcode from the WhatsApp app on your phone to set it up. It’s pretty simple.

In your phone’s WhatsApp app, go to Settings > WhatsApp Web/Desktop and scan the barcode on the desktop app.

3. Mute group conversations if they are very active and interruptive.

4. Reply directly to a message buried in a thread.

Your reply will send with the message
you are responding to embedded above it — similar to a how “quote
retweet” works on Twitter.

5. Share and send photos, videos, or
GIFs broadly or with specific contacts on WhatsApp on its recently
launched status update feature.

You might have to update your app to see this one, it only launched this week.

You can choose to send your “status” to
all your WhatsApp contacts, contacts “except,” or select a specific list
of contacts. Whoever you send it to, it will disappear after 24 hours.
When you tap to add “My Status” for the first time, after you create
your status (photo/video) it will give you the option to choose who you
want to send it to via a pop up. Choose “Privacy Settings” in the pop up
and from there select who you want to share it with.

6. Turn off your read receipts.

Go to Settings > Account > Privacy
> switch off Read Receipts. If you switch off “last seen,” people
will still be able to see when you’ve read their message (via the double
blue tick), but they won’t be able to see when you were last online.

7. Switch numbers easily.

The WhatsApp service is linked to the
first number you enter and verify. This “number” will then follow you
onto your next phone, even if you have a new number. If you get a new
number, you can change your WhatsApp number quite easily by going to
Settings > Account > Change Number and following the steps from
there.

8. Back up your WhatsApp chats and media.

If you’re switching phones and you don’t
want to lose your chat history, make sure you back up your chats. Go to
Settings > Chats > Chat backup Of course, you can set it to auto
backup on a daily, weekly, or monthly.

9. Use Italics, bold, and strikethrough.

As per the screenshot, it’s a “*” either
side for bold, “_” either side for italic, and a “~” for strikethrough
(though we’re struggling to figure out what that’s useful for).

10. Make video calls.

11. Blast out a message to multiple contacts at once.

12. Stop all WhatsApp notifications from interrupting you by popping up on your screen.

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